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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rush — hurry
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — of water
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cold — not warm
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com